


Scar

by ACuckoo



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Romance, Torture, Whipping, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-08 02:31:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ACuckoo/pseuds/ACuckoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Neji battles Hinata during the Chunin exams, Neji has to deal with a severe punishment dealt by the Hyuga Clan. The most unlikely of people helps him cope, and over the years he finds himself more and more infatuated with this person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cat o' Nine Tails

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on this site! (Not my first story in general haha!) Forgive any inconsistencies, errors, mistakes, etc. I did make the Hyuga clan a bit more... High strung than usual XD Other than that! ^_^ Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Guy had never felt so helpless in his life. Usually he knew exactly what he needed to do and would never hesitate to do it, but not this time. This time was different. His legs twitched and though he knew he needed to stand up and defend his student, he didn’t. This was a family affair; he had no right to intervene. But then again, they had invited him here. Perhaps he did have in a say in what was going on. His mind was running in circles, but his body was frozen as he watched his student get beaten practically to death. There was nothing wrong with giving out punishments as they were needed, but this was overboard. This was humiliating, harsh, and borderline deadly. 

The Hyuga clan would actually do this to one of their own? And to a child at that? 

Looking over at Lee and Tenten’s horrified faces, he finally found the strength to stand and run to the middle of the floor. Neji needed his help, and he refused to watch his student suffer any longer. 

 

_“I need to speak with you all.”_

_Somehow Neji’s soft voice was heard over Guy and Lee’s passionate yelling. The pair quieted down and focused their attention on their teammate with Tenten following suit._

_“The Hyuga clan isn’t very happy with me right now. About what happened at the Chunin exams. It’s mostly the main branch, but… It’s a problem.”_

_Guy wasn’t at all surprised that the Hyuga clan was a little less than pleased with Neji and Hinata’s battle. Hinata nearly died from all the wounds she suffered, and to top it off Neji nearly killed her of his own free will. If it weren’t for the teachers and their quick reflexes they might have had a dead student on their hands. Guy had begged Neji not to get carried away, but Neji was young and angry. His little outburst was the result of Hinata striking a nerve with her words and all of the hate built up over his lifetime._

_Unfortunately, that excuse probably wouldn’t do for the Hyuga clan._

_“How exactly is this a problem, Neji?”_

_The boy cast his eyes towards his mentor. “Lady Hinata is still the daughter of the head of the clan, regardless of how he feels about her. When I rushed her at the end of the battle…” He sighed heavily, closing his eyes as if to block out the entire incident. “They’re calling it attempted murder.”_

_“Attempted murder?” Guy cried. “Seriously? It’s hardly attempted murder at all! How can they even—“_

_“Because what I said was true. She’s the spoiled daughter from the main branch, and I’m just a boy from the side branch. I’m sure they intend to make an example out of me. They’re giving me… Well, not so much a trial as just a discussion. They’ve already decided that I’m to be punished for what I did. They’re just going to talk with me and then deliver the punishment.”_

_“You don’t even get a proper trial?” Tenten asked, her eyes wide with concern._

_“No.” Neji said quickly._

_“And…” Lee lowered his voice as he tried to weigh the gravity of the situation in his mind. “What’s your punishment?”_

_“I don’t know. But regardless of what it is, you all get to bear witness.”_

_“What??”_

_Neji smirked as he stared at the shocked expressions of his teammates. “That’s right. You’re invited to my fake trial. Especially you, Guy-sensei. They want to make sure my team understands what can happen to me if I step too far out of line.” The young Hyuga didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his tone. This was all a waste of time to him, but he was told to invite his mentor and teammates. It seemed pointless for them to be there, however, he knew he didn’t need to get in anymore trouble with his clan. It was easier to oblidge to their wishes, no matter how ridiculous they were. “I’m sure they also wouldn’t mind making a dig at Guy-sensei for allowing his student to stray so far.”_

_Guy let out a little growl at that, but didn’t let himself get distracted from the situation at hand. He had no idea how the Hyuga clan operated, but Neji didn’t seem very worried about his punishment. Then again, the boy never seemed worried about anything. Guy had hoped that by now he would have managed to open the young man up a bit, but that had been futile. He was still the same arrogant, angry, and prideful child he had started out with._

_Still, he needed to do his best to defend him._

_“Can we speak for you at least?”_

_“No. This isn’t an invite for you to come and interfere. This is simply an invite for you to come and watch.” Neji turned his back to them, waving a hand to signal the end of the conversation. “You’re all free to decline if you wish. It begins tomorrow at sundown so let me know if you’re coming or not.”_

_Lee and Tenten tentatively glanced at one another. They could each read the uncertainty on the other’s face, but they could also sense one another’s determination to stand by their teammate. They nodded at him, giving him reassuring smiles._

_“Of course!” Guy said, giving Neji a thumbs up. “I won’t let you walk in there alone! The three of us will be there!”_

 

None of them could have predicted the harshness of the Hyuga clan. Rumors always fluttered around about how severe, even cruel, they could be. 

But to actually witness it… And on his own student. 

By the time they had shown up the trial had already begun. Hinata sat in front of a kneeling Neji with her father and other family members. She looked nervous for him, but Neji’s face was as hard and rigid as ever. Guy could immediately sense something was wrong. Neji may have been arrogant and even downright mean, but he was always relaxed and calm. Seeing him so tense worried Guy. 

“Do you understand why you’re here, Neji?” Hinata’s father, Hiashi, asked. His voice was as piercing and cold as Neji’s, but also held experience that Neji had yet to gain. 

Guy watched as the young Hyuga simply nodded, paying close attention to his body language. Neji’s hands tightly grasped his shorts and Guy thought he could see the boy give a quick shudder. 

“Something doesn’t feel right,” the team leader whispered. 

Lee and Tenten barely had time to acknowledge him before the head of the Hyuga clan spoke again. 

“Do you feel good about attempting to murder my daughter? I’m sure you’ve been wanting to do something like that for a long time now. That little stunt you pulled at the Chunin exams did not go unnoticed by the Hyugas. You know we see everything, right?” 

The chuckle that resounded throughout the small room gave Guy chills. This man was brutal, and there was no telling what he would do to Neji. It took every bit of Guy’s willpower to stay where he was rather then go to Neji’s side. 

“Hinata treats you better than you treat her considering your ranks,” Hiashi continued. “She begged me to let you off easy, however, I simply cannot do that. I can’t allow someone who made an attempt on my daughter’s life get away with no regard for their actions.” 

With a snap of his fingers, Neji’s punishment began. Two large men grabbed him by the arms, tying each arm to a wooden stake built into the floors for such a purpose. Guy and his students watched in silent horror as the men ripped off Neji’s jacket and shirt. The men thought they were done, but the Hyuga leader cleared his throat loudly. It took a moment, but the two realized what he wanted. One of the men roughly ripped off Neji’s headband and the bandages that covered his mark. 

“Just so we can all see it,” the Hyuga leader uttered, staring right into Neji’s eyes. The two glared at one another, though it was clear who the superior one was. Neji could do nothing now except await his punishment. Guy couldn’t imagine what they would do to him, a child, but he didn’t have to wait long to find out. 

Another man slowly walked towards the young Hyuga, carrying a multi-tailed whip with several metal rods attached to each tail. Neji’s back was to him, and Guy’s eyes grew wide once he realized exactly what was going on. 

“N-no….” 

The torturer moved Neji’s ponytail over his shoulder so it wouldn’t get in the way, but Neji defiantly tossed it back. With an annoyed grunt, the torturer did it again only for Neji to flip it back. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Hiashi growled impatiently. “Trust me, boy, hair isn’t going to protect you from this.”

Guy’s hand flew to his mouth when the whip snapped loudly against Neji’s back. He wanted to cover his ears to block out of the sound of his student’s cry, but he couldn’t. He was frozen in place and only stared as Neji bravely took each lashing. The band holding Neji’s hair eventually snapped from the force of the whip causing his hair to cover his face and stick to the wounds on his back. 

“N-Neji….” Guy trembled as continued to watch his student get whipped. With each strike, Neji’s cries grew louder and more hysterical. It didn’t take long for Neji to finally let out a desperate and painful scream. Guy shamefully hung his head and brought his hands to his ears, though it did nothing to block out the sounds of his precious student’s screams. He was at a loss. This truly was a family affair, but… The Hyuga clan had long since crossed the line. There was no one here to defend Neji. No one to stand up for him. Hinata tried her best, but her father ignored her, watching in sick satisfaction as blood poured from Neji’s wounds and flew about with each hit. 

“Please stop!” Neji began to shout. “Please! Please stop! Stop it!” 

Guy gave Neji credit for not sobbing sooner. He had never heard Neji cry. Not even so much as a sniffle, and now here he was sobbing uncontrollably, screaming in pain, and begging for mercy. 

Guy lifted his head and looked at his two remaining students. Both were just as stunned as he was, and both had their own tears flowing down their faces. 

Enough was enough. 

“He said stop!” Guy screamed as he jumped in front of Neji, blocking the next blow with his arm. He hardly flinched as the whip hit him. He quickly disarmed the torturer and turned to face the head of the Hyuga clan. Now that Guy had stepped in, Tenten and Lee found their courage and ran to their teammate. Tenten undid his bounds while Lee protectively stood in front of him. 

“This family is sick!” Guy cried, throwing the bloody whip to the ground. “He is a child!” 

“He is a ninja!” Hiashi yelled back. “And he will be treated as such! You are only here to witness your own faults! He is your student, Might Guy, and you couldn’t control him nor teach him any better!” 

Guy shook his head, grinding his teeth together. “Considering who his family is I’m not surprised that he’s so brutal.” Guy’s quiet and menacing voice was uncharacteristic of him and would have nearly frightened Tenten and Lee if they weren’t so concerned for their friend. The team leader would have said more, but he needed to focus on his hurt and bleeding student. 

“Neji? Neji, can you hear me?” 

The young Hyuga didn’t answer him. He instead sobbed harshly into the floor, squirming around in pain. 

“I’m sorry.” Guy whispered to him. “I’m so sorry. I should have stepped in sooner. I’m so sorry. Lee! Help get him on my back! Be careful with him, okay? We need to get him to an infirmary.” 

“I think not.” 

Guy stopped short as that damned voice pierced his ears again. His eyes were blazing with hate and anger as he slowly looked up at the Hyuga leader.

“What the hell are you talking about?” He screamed. “He’s hurt! He needs a doctor!” 

“You interrupted our punishment for him. Obviously, he didn’t inform you that you and your students were not to interfere. He still needs to finish out his punishment. He won’t be going to an infirmary.” 

“Are you insane?” 

“I have spoken. You may take him, but if you take him to an infirmary we’ll simply go through this all over again.” 

Guy let out an irritated shout. He knew this man wasn’t lying, and if this happened a second time he doubted he and his team would be around to help Neji. With the small boy securely on his back, Guy started to head for the nearest exit. All he wanted was to get Neji as far away from this place as possible. His precious student had never been so helpless before. He looked down at the arms that lay limp across his shoulders and felt the tears that fell from Neji’s eyes on the back of his neck. 

This family had completely broken him, mentally and physically. 

“Come on, Neji. We’re going.” 

Guy and the others ran from the Hyuga clan’s estate into the dark night. Time was lost to them; they had no idea what time it was or how much of it had passed. Guy stood for a moment, contemplating what to do. If he took Neji to an infirmary, then he knew the Hyugas would somehow know about it. They would hurt Neji more, and he refused to let that happen. Yet neither he, nor Lee, nor Tenten knew medical jutsu. 

“Guy-sensei?” 

Guy looked down at Lee and Tenten. The only sounds that could be heard were Neji’s cries which had dwindled down to sniffles and were muffled against Guy’s skin. The other two students looked as desperate as their instructor felt. 

“Come on.” Guy ran from the estate, still unsure as to where to go. He could only assume something would come to him; something always did. The best plan would be to head straight to the infirmary, but that was also the worst plan.

“Alright!” He knew he needed to stop hesitating. Hesitating was the reason Neji was this hurt. “We’re going to go to my place. Okay? We’re going to go there and—“ 

“Guy?” 

Guy stopped running when he heard a familiar and welcome voice. 

“Kakashi!” He quickly ran towards him and noticed someone else with him too. “Shikaku? Please, I need your help!” 

Lee and Tenten stood behind Guy, letting him take the reigns on this one. They noticed that Shikamaru was trailing behind the other two men. It crossed Lee’s mind to ask him for help, but Neji had already been humiliated, and now these other people would see him like this. Shikamaru didn’t need to know anything. 

“What happened?” Shikaku looked at Neji with concern, almost reaching out to touch him until he noticed his back. “What the hell?” 

“I need help! I-I need someone who knows medical jutsu!” 

“Medical jutsu? Take him to the goddamn infirmary!” Kakashi yelled. 

“I can’t! I can’t, Kakashi! Just help me, okay! Please!” 

“Lady Tsunade.” 

Everyone quieted down as Shikamaru spoke, his eyes on Neji and his wounds. When he realized the attention was on him he looked from his father, to Kakashi, then to Guy. “She knows medical jutsu. If you won’t take him to the infirmary, then let her help him.” 

 It seemed to take everyone a moment to fully comprehend what Shikamaru had said, but once it settled in they sprang into action. 

“Alright. I doubt she’s at her home.” Kakashi said hurriedly. “She’s probably at a bar or a casino.” 

“I’ll go get her. The kids should go on home. There’s not much you guys can do right now.” Shikaku told them, however, Tenten and Lee put up a fight. They wanted to stay with Neji throughout his ordeal, even if there wasn’t anything they could do to help. While the two Team Guy members argued with the adults, Shikamaru kept his eyes on Neji. Normally he would have left once his work was done, but he was fascinated and curious about what had happened to the Hyuga. He doubted anyone had ever seen Neji like this. Amidst all of the yelling around them, Shikamaru could hear Neji’s quiet sobs and his pleads for medicine. He sounded like a child. 

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered to the Hyuga. Through Neji’s mess of hair that covered his face he could see one sad, tearful eye. He didn’t really know Neji that well, but he knew the boy wasn’t the type to break down so easily. “It’s going to be okay,” he repeated. 

“We don’t have time for this!” Guy shouted. “Tenten! Go with Shikaku! Kakashi, come with me! Lee too! Come on! We need to help Neji!” 

Shikamaru didn’t care that he was left out. In this case, he preferred to blend in with the shadows. He ran behind everyone, casting his eyes over Neji’s back, taking in each wound, each strand of hair caught in a gash, every drop of blood that fell to the ground. Who would do something like this to him? And how could he not defend himself? He was considered the most talented out of all the chunin. 

Shikamaru’s mind was running a mile a minute as he tried to come up with scenarios on how this could happen. He continued to stare at the injured boy, then noticed he was trying to move. Neji tried to look behind him to see Shikmaru, but he could hardly sit up let alone turn his body. He let out a shout and collapsed back onto Guy who scolded him for even thinking about moving. 

“I know you’re in pain, but just hang in there! We’re here now, Neji. You’re going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay!” 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Saying that with such a shaky voice would do nothing to convince Neji he would actually be okay. As of right now, Shikamaru was sure Neji would be fine. He would be scarred, but Lady Tsunade could easily heal those wounds. 

Once they were in Guy’s house, they made their way to his bedroom. Kakashi and Guy carefully set Neji on his bed. He was laying on his stomach, his hair once again hiding his face. Several chunks of hair had been caught in the gashes, and though Guy wanted to move them he wasn’t sure he could do so without hurting his student. 

“Just wait until Tsunade gets here.” Kakashi put a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder, hoping to calm him down. “She’ll get here soon and heal him.”

“I should have reacted faster. I should have stepped in sooner.” 

“What even happened, Guy?” 

Shikamaru settled himself in the corner of the room where he could keep an eye on Neji. Just like before, he could see one lavender eye through the mess of long brown hair. Neji had finally stopped crying. The only sounds escaping him were tiny whimpers. While he stared at the Hyuga, Shikamaru listened to Guy explain what had happened. It shocked Shikamaru to think that the Hyuga clan would do this to their own kind, but they were notorious for being strict and sometimes cruel. Even so, this was overboard. 

Shikamaru stared into that one glassy eye, trying to think of ways he could help Neji. He knew he shouldn’t have cared or interfered, but the other was in so much pain. There had to have been a way to help him. 

“Troublesome…” Shikamaru whispered as he grasped his fingers. The shadow of a hand slowly manifested on the floor and crept it's way to the bed. Lee stared at him as he did this, but he trusted him and allowed him to continue whatever he was doing. The shadow hand glided along Neji’s hand and arm. Shikamaru watched as Neji’s eye peeked through his curtain of hair to look at the shadow on him. He made a small, confused sound, but seemed to welcome the contact. 

He couldn’t feel it. Shadows were weightless, textureless. In essence they were nothing. But this shadow was special. It warmed him and seemed to take away just a bit of the pain he was in. 

“Shi… Shika….” It was too difficult for him to speak, but he could tell Shikamaru heard him trying to call for him. Yet the shadow master never stood or moved from his spot on the ground. Instead, Neji felt the shadow hand continue up his arm and over his shoulder to rest on his cheek. 

He would have thanked him if he could, but the door flew open with Tenten, Shikaku, and Tsunade entering. Shikamaru’s shadow disappeared and before Neji could hear one word Tsunade said, he fell unconscious. 


	2. (Don't) Leave Me Alone

It had been a week since Shikamaru had seen Neji. Since the incident, Team Guy for the most part had disappeared as well. Every now and then he would see Tenten, Lee, and Guy training, but it wouldn’t last for too long. It seemed they were all traumatized by what had happened to Neji. Shikamaru couldn’t blame them. Unlike him, they had all witnessed the horrendous whipping. He could only imagine what he would do if it had been Ino or Choji. He assumed that when they weren’t training, Team Guy was with Neji, taking care of him. 

Although, it shouldn’t have taken this long for Neji to recover. 

Lady Tsunade was the best of the best when it came to medical jutsu. There wasn’t much she’s couldn’t mend, and Shikamaru thought that she would be able to heal Neji’s wounds without batting an eye. When she had finally arrived at Guy’s home that night, Shikaku had escorted Shikamaru out. They didn’t stick around to see the outcome, which disappointed Shikamaru. He wanted to stay just as badly as the others, but he didn’t put up a fight. They were dealing with enough as it was; they didn’t need to deal with him being bratty. 

His curiosity was getting the better of him, though. 

Or was it concern? 

Either way, Shikamaru wanted to see Neji. He had been there through his strife, even if he didn’t actually witness the incident. He still wanted to know the outcome and why Neji wasn’t already back on his feet. 

“I’ll be back, guys.” Shikamaru slowly stood from where he lying under a tree, casting a glance towards Ino and Choji who were training just a few feet away from him. He didn’t bother to answer them when they asked where he was going. All he told them was that he would be back soon. The last thing he wanted was for the entire leaf village to know what happened to Neji. Surprisingly enough, no rumors had surfaced and no one was saying anything about Team Guy. Somehow, Kakashi and Team Guy had managed to keep this whole thing under wraps, and Shikamaru would do his part to keep it that way. 

“How troublesome….” He muttered as he weaved his way through the crowds of people towards Guy’s home. Shikamaru wasn’t even sure if Neji was still there, but it was a good place to start. 

His mind wandered to that night and how the lavender eyed boy had looked so helpless and desperate. Everything from his face to his tears to his small whimpers made him seem like a weak, pathetic child. That wasn’t the Neji Shikamaru knew. That wasn’t the Neji anyone knew. The Neji they knew was strong, arrogant, and downright brutal. This one was… 

“Broken.” 

Shikamaru hated to say it, but it was true. He had looked into the eyes of a broken man that day. Someone who may as well have had every bit of confidence and happiness sucked out of him. 

“Ahh!” 

The shadow master was torn from his thoughts when he ran clear into someone. Ino had warned him about letting his mind stray while he was walking. This wasn’t the first time he would do that, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

“Oh…” he said when he finally realized who it was. “Lee. Tenten.” 

“That’s what you get for walking with your head down like that!” Tenten yelled, pointing her finger at Lee, though she quickly rounded on Shikamaru, sticking her finger in his face. “And that’s what you get for walking with your head in the clouds!” 

Troublesome woman. But Shikamaru was good at picking and choosing his battles, and this was one he didn’t want to fight. He raised his hands up defensively, and that was all it took for her to back down and shake her head. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’ve… I’ve been on edge lately.” 

“Neji?” Shikamaru asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“How is he? I was on my way to check on him. I assume he’s still at Guy-sensei’s place, right?” 

Lee and Tenten glanced at one another, exchanging a silent conversation. From the looks on their faces, Shikamaru could guess that Neji wasn’t doing too well. Neither of them were acting themselves, and their hesitation to speak only solidified Shikamaru’s assumption. 

“He’s…” Lee fidgeted as he did his best to avoid looking Shikamaru in the eye. “He’s not well,” he said quietly, eventually letting his head fall. “Lady Tsunade was able to heal his wounds, but he has major scarring. She doubts they’ll ever go away. He’s angry and upset and there’s nothing we can do about it.” 

“This is the second time he’s been scarred by his family,” Tenten spoke as Lee drifted off, sensing that if he said anymore he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from crying. “Or so Neji says. Those scars are… They’re so large.” Her eyes grew distant and Shikamaru wasn’t sure she was even speaking to him anymore. 

“He says if he lays on them or if he touches them they hurt,” she continued, “We need to get Lady Tsunade back to help him again. They still bleed on occasion too. They’re just… They’re so…” 

“Ugly?” Shikamaru offered. 

“Perhaps that’s not the word I would use. But yes. They’re ugly. And they’re not doing anything at all for Neji. That family of his was trying to teach him a lesson, but they only made him more angry. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to blow up the entire Hyuga clan at this point.” 

Shikamaru shrugged. “If my family did that to me, I don’t think I would be very happy with them.” 

Still, who knew what was going through Neji’s mind right now? The pain that was brought onto him was unforgivable, and he was already angry enough at the Hyuga clan. It was impossible to predict how he would handle this situation, or if he would handle it at all. Perhaps Neji wanted to let it all go, though Shikamaru doubted that. He didn’t seem like the type to just lay down and take something like that. Family matters were a different story, though, so even Shikamaru couldn’t foresee how they would play out. 

“Is it okay if I go and see him?” 

Once again, Lee and Tenten glanced at one another. It wasn’t their responsibility to give permission as to whether he could see Neji or not. He was under the care of Guy and Lady Tsunade at the moment, so they should have been the ones to make such a decision. However, they weren’t here, and Shikamaru had indeed given them his support that night. 

“He might not let you in,” Lee told him, finally looking back to him. “Sometimes he doesn’t even let us in.” 

Shikamaru shrugged, walking past the other two towards Guy’s house. He knew Neji was stubborn, and if he wouldn’t even let Lee or Tenten in to see him, then it was likely he wouldn’t let Shikamaru in either. 

There were ways around that, though. 

When Shikamaru made it to Guy’s house, he looked up the building to see if there was a way he could sneak in. Shikamaru considered himself a sneaky person, but even he would find it difficult to break into Guy’s house without getting caught. If someone outside didn’t notice, then certainly Guy would if he were home. Even Neji might attack him before bothering to find out who he was. With a sigh, Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. 

“Troublesome….” 

It would have been easy to give up, but something kept Shikamaru going. He wanted to see Neji. He wanted to check on the other boy. As one of the only people who knew about his condition he felt some kind of responsibility to make sure he was comfortable and safe. 

“Still, how the hell do I do that without alerting anyone?” 

He looked around the building, trying to remember which window led to Neji’s room. He counted them all and circled the structure until he found the window he was looking for. 

“I believe this is it…” 

If he was right, then Neji would be in that room presumably laying down in his bed. Still, there was the issue of getting inside. He took in his surroundings, looking for anything that could have been helpful to him. 

“Ah hah…” 

He smiled as he found a large tree with a perfect wide, round trunk and branches that reached out in all directions, including towards Neji’s room. He didn’t waste any time in climbing the tree and walking along the branch that reached his destination. From the branch he could see perfectly into the room, and there he could see Neji lying on his stomach, the scars on his back as distinct and noticeable as they were the day he got them. Shikamaru sat down, taking in the sight of the broken boy in front of him. He wanted to run right into his room and hold him and tell him everything would be okay.

The closed window presented a bit of a problem, though. 

There were ways around these obstacles, however, and Shikamaru knew exactly how he would overcome this one. He leaned against the trunk of the tree, grasping his fingers and forming his shadow into a hand. He trailed the shadow along the branch and slid it under the window. His view was perfect from where he was sitting, and he could see his shadow on Neji’s bed. Neji seemed to have a positive reaction to his shadow that first day, and Shikamaru hoped it would go over well again. 

He slowly ran the hand over Neji’s legs, seeing the other boy twitch at the contact. That was strange to him. His shadow had no form, no texture, no smell, nothing. It was simply a shadow. It was comprised of nothing, not even a drop of matter. It was intangible and sometimes invisible, and yet Neji could somehow feel it. Somehow he knew there was something touching him without even looking to see what it could be. 

Shikamaru continued to stare as he glided his shadow along the other man’s side, still fascinated at how Neji moved in accordance to his shadow. Shikamaru purposefully avoided Neji’s back, not wanting to accidentally hurt him if he truly could feel the shadow. He ran the hand through the other’s hair, not a strand falling out of place from the contact. 

Then he sat up. 

The Hyuga swiftly turned towards the window, his Byakugan fully activated. Shikamaru just sat there, not bothering to hide. Even if he did he wouldn’t have been able to escape the impressive Byakugan. He stared into Neji’s eyes, the other clearly sure of what he was doing. Shikamaru could only hope Neji didn’t think he was trying to violate him. That would put him in a troublesome situation, one that he would do anything to avoid. 

Though after a moment, Neji’s Byakugan deactivated, and his features softened. He rested his head back on the pillow, turning away from the window, but not retaliating or calling out to Shikamaru at all. He simply lay there, his hair fallen around his face and over the pillow, not touching his back. Shikamaru took that as a good sign and continued to let his shadow roam over the other, eventually coming to rest on Neji’s cheek as he had done that first day. 

Neji never turned to face Shikamaru so he couldn’t truly gauge how the Hyuga felt about being touched like this, but since he wasn’t fighting him or crying out for someone to help him he figured he must have liked it to an extent. It was all Shikamaru could do to comfort him. He didn’t know Neji as personally as Lee and Tenten so he didn’t know how Neji would react to being comforted at all. 

Still, Shikamaru’s confidence grew as Neji continued to lay there, allowing the shadow to touch him. Taking a risky gamble, Shikamaru lowered his shadow from Neji’s cheek and glided it along the other’s back. Neji twitched which made Shikamaru freeze, but as soon as Neji calmed down he continued. The scars on his back were disturbing if not frightening. It was a cruel thing to think, but Shikamaru was happy he didn’t witness the incident. He could only imagine the pain Neji was in and how he would have this constant daily reminder of that horrible day. 

“I wish there was more I could do for you.” 

He had spoken quietly, but perhaps the Hyuga’s ears were as good as his eyes. Neji turned his head to face the other, his hair covering all of his features except for one, clear, pale eye. Part of the reason Neji was such a difficult one to read was because of his eyes. As opalescent as his eyes were, they didn’t reveal his emotions like other people’s did. If eyes were the window to the soul, Neji’s were cloudy and covered. 

So Shikamaru didn’t know what to think when Neji looked at him. He didn’t stop moving his shadow across his back, he didn’t break eye contact with him, he didn’t suddenly rush away. The two just stared at one another, sharing another private, intimate moment like they had on that day. 

And just like on that day, they were interrupted. 

Shikamaru dissolved his shadow when the door to Neji’s room opened and Guy stepped inside. The Hyuga, who just a moment ago had been so difficult to read, suddenly became an open book. Shikamaru watched as he abruptly sat up, throwing open the window and sticking his head out with a panicked expression. 

“Please!” 

He screamed at Shikamaru, though the shadow master had hidden himself in the shadows of the leaves. It looked like the poor thing was just screaming at the tree, and Guy quickly grabbed the young boy before he accidentally thrust himself out of the window. He sat with him on his bed, begging the now hysterical Neji to calm down. Guy had no idea what he wanted or needed, but Shikamaru knew. He was screaming for him to come back. He was crying out for him, “Please! Come back! Please, please! Come back!” 

But Shikamaru stayed hidden. He didn’t move from his place in the tree, instead just observing Guy’s failed attempts to calm down his student. 

It was hard to watch. 

Eventually, Guy was able to settle Neji down, though the boy’s tears didn’t go unnoticed by Shikamaru. He bit his lip as Guy laid the other on the bed again. Neji’s shoulders shook from how hard he was crying and he quietly begged for the other to come back, never once saying his name. 

“It’ll be okay, Neji. Get some rest now. It’ll be okay.” 

Guy gently soothed the other, petting his hair until finally Neji’s cries dwindled down to just sniffles. “I’ll go get you some water.” 

As soon as Guy left, Neji started to whimper and mumble to himself. Shikamaru crawled along the branch until he was right at Neji’s window. Though the other was mumbling he could hear him repeat the same thing over and over again. 

“I’ll never forgive you if you don’t come back. I’ll never, ever forgive you if you don’t come back. I’ll never forgive you….” 

Shikamaru immediately formed his shadow into a hand again, reaching it out to touch Neji’s cheek. The other quickly turned, seeming to calm down just at the sight of the younger teen. 

“I’ll always come back. Okay?” 

Guy had returned and Shikamaru disappeared, but this time Neji didn’t get hysterical or cry. He knew he would see the Nara again. It was only a matter of time. 


End file.
